


Living Not-So-Dead

by Whedonista93



Series: The Family Stone [1]
Category: Leverage, The Librarians (TV 2014), The Losers (2010)
Genre: Background - Freeform, Backstory, Crossover, F/M, Family Feels, Jake and Eliot are twins, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 11:26:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16618070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whedonista93/pseuds/Whedonista93
Summary: Beth’s dad may not be as dead as Jess was led to believe.





	Living Not-So-Dead

Jessica Jensen glares at her brother as he unfolds himself from the backseat of car. “J, I swear if you start a fight with the ref again…”

“Oh come on!” Jensen whines. “That was one time!”

“That’s all it takes man,” a familiar voice sounds from behind her. “Woman can hold a grudge.”

Jess spins toward the voice with a bittersweet smile. “Jacob!”

Beth flies past her in a pink blur. “Uncle Jacob!”

Jacob catches the girl with an easy grin. “Hey kiddo.”

Jess leans into his free side for a quick hug. “I thought you were at a new job in Portland.”

Jacob shrugs. “No excuse to miss my favorite niece’s soccer game.”

Beth wriggles out of his arms. “I see my team!”

“Look for cars!” Jess calls out behind her daughter as she sprints across the parking lot. She turns back to Jacob. “Seriously, how are you here?”

Jacob winks at her. “Magic.”

She rolls her eyes and pokes him in the ribs. “Fine, don’t tell me.” She leans close. “Don’t say that shit in front of my brother. The last thing I need is for him to find out magic is real.”

Jacob grimaces then shrugs. “I promised I would make it to at least one game this season, and work is slow right now.”

Jess reaches out to squeeze his arm. “Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to her.”

Jacob smiles and briefly lays a hand over hers. “You okay?”

She shrugs. “I’m good. Seeing you is great. But there’s always that fraction of a second…”

“Where you think it’s him. Sorry.”

She shakes her head. “Don’t apologize for something that’s not your fault.” She nods over his shoulder. “Who are your friends?”

Jacob’s smile warms as he turns to the group assembled behind him. He gestures to the shorter, dark haired guy, “Ezekiel Jones,” the petite, bubbly looking redhead, “Cassandra Cillian,” and the tall blonde, “E-

“Colonel Eve Baird,” Clay’s voice comes from over her shoulder.

The blonde arches an eyebrow. “Colonel Franklin Clay. Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

Clay shrugs. “You know how it goes. How long have you been working with Spencer?”

Jacob and Jess both tense.

Eve tilts her head curiously. “I know the resemblance is uncanny, but it’s not him.”

Jess turns slowly. The Losers are all staring at Jacob suspiciously. She points at her brother, and then at Jacob. “Explain. Now.”

Jake shrugs. “He looks like a guy who runs our circles. A  _ lot _ like a guy who runs our circles. A really dangerous guy.”

“Clay, you called him Spencer?”

Clay nods. “Eliot Spencer.”

Jess closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “Still alive?”

“Last I heard,” Clay confirms.

“And he looks like Jacob?”

“Yeah. A few more scars, and more… ya know, soldier, maybe kinda soldier of fortune type look, and definitely more scowly, bu-” Jake’s voice muffles and Jess opens her eyes to shoot a grateful smile at Cougar, who’s holding a hand over her brother’s mouth.

Cougar’s lips twitch in an almost smile when he offers her a nod.

She turns to Jacob. “I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

Jacob just nods, still looking a little thunderstruck.

“J, find him for me. Now.”

Jake, for once in his life, keeps his mouth shut, and pulls out his phone. Ten very tense minutes later, her phone pings with a notification.

“He’s gotta be working with a hacker, but I’m pretty sure he’s at this brewpub in Portland,” Jake tells her. “Or above it. Works for something called Leverage Consulting.”

“Portland?” Jacob grinds out.

Jess shoves her keys into his hands. “Take these, you’re babysitting.”

“Jess-”

“No,” she cuts him off. “If we both go, we really will kill him. Stay. Watch Beth.”

Jacob blanches. “What am I supposed to do with an 8 year old girl?”

Cassandra giggles. “I’ll stay with you.”

Jacob automatically untenses. “Thanks, Cass.” 

“Jake, Clay, and Aisha will be around, too. They’re used to her antics. Just try to limit her talking you into ice cream as a meal to once a day. Tell Beth I had a work emergency.”

Jacob nods.

Jess hesitates.

Cassandra smiles at her gently. “Go. I can take care of both of them.”

“I already love you,” Jess tells the redhead, hugging her impulsively before turning back toward her car. “J, book me the next flight out and get me a meeting with this Leverage group. Clay, you’re driving me.”

Clay offers a sarcastic salute and casual, “Yes, ma’am,” but folds himself back into his jeep without argument.

Jess grabs her go bag from the back of her car before climbing in next to him.

 

* * *

 

Parker drapes herself over Hardison's shoulders and frowns at the screen. “I don't get it. Why would a squeaky clean security company want a meeting with us?”

“No security company is squeaky clean,” Eliot grumbles without looking up from the sports section.

“I don't know, man,” Hardison says. “Unless this chick has a hacker better than me, JJ Solutions is pretty damn squeaky. Founder and owner is an Army vet who hires vets. Keeps thorough background checks and tabs on all her employees. I mean, she’s definitely got a hacker in her pocket considering the very well-buried records she keeps on her clients, but she’s solid.”

Eliot glances up at the screen and freezes.

“Eliot?”

“Book the meeting.”

“Something you wanna tell us, man?”

“Just book the meeting,” Eliot growls before storming out the door.

 

* * *

 

“So… your twin brother is Beth's dad?” Cassie asks after they've settled the little girl into bed.

Jacob nods, exhaustion clear on his face. “Yeah. They were in the Army together. Spencer, my brother, joined at 17. Met her at 19. She was 20. Brought her home about a year after that. And then for the next 2 years, if he was home on leave, she was with him. Then we didn't see either of them for about a year. Then Spencer came home alone. And then a month later, some high ranking asshat was at our door saying he was KIA. Wouldn't tell us anything else, so I called Jess. She didn't even know… showed up a month later, and shoved a positive pregnancy test into my hands. I'd never seen her so freaked. Dad was already way off the wagon by then, but ever since then, me and Jess… we've stuck together.”

Cassie reaches across the couch and grasps his hand. “At least you had each other.”

Jacob nods. “She told me once, drunk off our asses, that she regretted never telling him how much she loved him.”

“Great love,” Jensen mutters from where he's sprawled on the rug.

“What's that?” Cassie asks.

Jensen rolls into a sitting position. “Great love. When Jess and I were really little, before our life went to shit, our grandma used to tell us that there were two major loves in every person's life. Their first love, and their great love. First love is obvious. But great love is more complicated. Because your great love might not be your last love, but it's the one that never leaves you. Jess told me once that Bethy's dad was her great love, but she never told him because they were young and she was scared.”

 

* * *

 

 

The Bridgeport Brewpub is an odd industrial mix of rustic and edgy in a weird dynamic that just barely pulls off classy instead of hipster. Jess greets the hostess with a smile, tells her she has a meeting with Leverage, and requests a table in the corner so she can see all the doors. The hostess smiles indulgently, and leaves her with her back to the wall and a menu in front of her. Before she can even lift the menu, a lithe blonde in all black slides into the seat across from her and eyes her critically.

Jess arches a brow at her.

The blonde scowls. “What do you want with Eliot?”

Jess has to close her eyes when a familiar rumble answers from her left. “Unless I'm way off base, probably to belt me across the jaw.”

Jess opens her eyes and takes him in. Longer hair, more scars and lines on his face, and eyes both more and less guarded than they were the last time she saw him. He looks  _ good _ . She surges to her feet and fulfills his little prediction. She fights the urge to smirk when he actually stumbles from the force of the blow.

He waves off concerned onlookers. “Trust me, folks, I deserved it.”

Jess crosses her arms over her chest. “Damn straight.”

He runs a hand over his jaw, wipes a bit of blood from his lip, and smiles. “You still throw a wicked right cross. You look good, Jess.”

Jess huffs and drops gracelessly back into her seat.

Spencer slides in across from her.

She raises her eyebrows. “Where'd the blonde go?”

“Parker? Who knows? Hungry?”

“Don’t have much of an appetite.”

Spencer waves the waitress over. “A couple coffees please, Amy.”

Jess glares at him.

He shrugs, unapologetic. “Trust me, you'll love it. I’ll cook for you later. If you’re willing to hang around for a bit.”

She feels the fight drain out of her. 

He reaches across the table for her hand. “Jess… not that it's not great to see you, but…” He leaves the  _ What are you doing here?  _ unspoken.

She looks up and meets his eyes. “I honestly didn't know you were alive until the day before yesterday.”

His eyes widen. “Jess, I sent you a message… I… you were supposed to know the truth. They swore to me…”

She squeezes her eyes shut. “I never got it, Spence.”

His voice is low, rough. “I just thought you didn't want anything to do with a ghost.”

Her laugh is wet, broken. “I loved you, Spence. I would've died for you. I  _ had _ killed for you. I… I never got the message.”

He reaches his free hand across the table, brushes her hair out of her face and runs his thumb over her eyelid so she looks at him again. “I don't think I ever did tell you how much I loved you back then. Maybe this could be our second chance.”

Jess laughs again. “Oh God, Spence, you don't even know…” She fishes her phone out of her pocket and the photo gallery before sliding it across the table to him. She takes a deep breath. “This is Beth. She's 8. She has my hair and-”

“My eyes,” Spencer breathes, barely above a whisper. He looks up at her, something between wonder and terror on his face.

Jess nods. “Your eyes. She loves soccer and heist movies, and she's smarter than both her uncles combined.”

Spencer closes his eyes. “And she thinks her daddy is dead.”

Jess reaches across and grasps both his hands. “She does. But she also know how much he would've loved her.”

“Does love her.” He opens his eyes to stare down at the pictures. “It's been less than 2 minutes and I've seen a couple pictures and the things I would do for this girl… oh damn it.  _ If  _ you'll let me, Jess.”

She smiles when he looks at her pleasingly. “Of course, Spence. I know if you would've known about her, it would've been different.”

“How do you even begin to explain to an 8 year old… Jess, she's spent her whole life thinking I'm dead.”

Jess winces. “Uh, unfortunately, there's a bit of a precedent.”

Spencer levels a disbelieving look at her. 

Jess shrugs. “Her uncle is a Loser.”

Spencer actually looks surprised. “Frank Clay's Losers?”

Jess nods.

“Damn. Knew they had to be alive after that mess in L.A. a few months ago.”

Jess quirks a brow at him.

He shrugs. “They've got a pretty distinctive M.O.” He angles toward the next table and addresses the young couple not-so-subtly eavesdropping. “Come on over, guys.”

Amy deposits three mugs of coffee and one mug of hot chocolate as they switch tables. The blonde from earlier nearly dives for the hot chocolate.

Spencer deftly moves it out of her reach.

She pouts. “Hey!”

Spencer shakes his head. “You’re gonna burn your tongue, darlin’. Patience.”

She sticks her tongue out at him, but settles back in her chair. “Fine.”

Jess grins at the scene. “Alright. I’m Jessica Jensen. You can call me Jess. Spence, you called blondie Parker earlier, who’s this guy?”

He offers a hand across the table. “Alec Hardison.”

She shakes his hand and eyes the tablet and phone he set on the table suspiciously. “Hacker?”

He raises his eyebrows as he sits back. “What, uh, I mean, no, I-”

Spencer rolls his eyes. “Yeah he’s a hacker.”

“Eliot, man!”

Jess settles back. “Relax, kid. Pretty sure you and my brother are gonna get on like a house on fire.”

“No server safe,” Spencer grins. “This kid took down a country with a smartphone once. Best hacker I know. And Parker is the best thief in the world.”

Jess barks out a laugh. “I know a couple guys who might debate those claims. Your brother keeps interesting company these days.”

“Who?” Parker demands.

“Ezekiel Jones,” Jess says innocently, sipping her coffee.

Parker sits up ramrod straight. “That… that… he… what… he is not better than me!”

Hardison groans. “Now you’ve done it, woman. Parker, can we get back to the Eliot having a kid thing?”

Parker immediately slumps back down. “Oh yeah. Can we see?”

Eliot passes Jess’ phone across the table.

“Don’t try cloning that,” Jess warns. “It’ll melt your hardware.”

Hardison looks horrified. “What kind of hacker do you know, woman?”

Jess scrunches her nose. “I don’t actually know what handle he’s using these days. Used to go by JpegLoser.”

Hardison’s jaw drops. “You know JpegLoser?!”

“He’s my baby brother.”

“Shit. He disappeared like a year ago.”

Jess shrugs. “Had to fake his own death.”

“Doesn’t mean he stopped hacking. Just changed his style probably. If I can-”

Jess leans across the table and puts a hand over the tablet he was reaching for. “How about instead of trying to hack someone who’s got a good reason for changing his style, you could just come meet him?”

“For real?”

Jess shrugs and turns to Spencer.

Spencer meets her eyes unflinchingly. “You actually want me to?”

“Don’t you want to?”

“Of course. I never thought I would have… much less with you. Yeah. I want to.”

Jess smiles.

“She looks like you,” Parker interjects, cocking her head at the phone. “Both of you.”

Spencer grins and untenses. “That’s usually how kids work.”

Parker looks up. “We get to meet her too?

Jess nods. “Of course. You guys are Spence’s family, right?”

Parker shrugs. “Yeah, I guess.”

Hardison rolls his eyes and slings an arm around her shoulders. “Yes.”

“Weird family,” Parker mutters.

Jess laughs. “Sweetie, my brother is part of a team of technically, legally dead mercenaries.” She points at Spencer. “And his brother is a Librarian.”

Parker looks up. “Like,  _ the _ Library?”

Jess nods. “For some reason I’m not surprised you know about that.”

Parker shrugs. “Heard rumors. Tried to break in once. Judson gave me cookies and Charlene threatened to curse me if I ever tried again.”

Jess almost snorts coffee out her nose, and catches a glimpse of the odd look on Spencer’s face when she ducks to wipe her mouth. “Spence?”

“He finally left home? And if he’s working there…”

“He’s putting that brain of his to use,” Jess confirms, reaching over to squeeze his hand.

He laces their fingers together and holds on. “Good. So,” he takes a deep breath, “where are we going?”

“I’m operating out of Springfield these days, but I’m starting to consider relocating to the west coast.”

“I’ll book us a flight for tomorrow morning,” Hardison offers, fingers already flying across his tablet.

 

* * *

 

Jess squeezes Spencer’s hand. Leaning against the tree at the far edge of the soccer fields. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“What if she hates me?”

“Kids don’t have the capacity for hate that we do. She’s gonna love you.”

“And you?”

Jess huffs and rolls her eyes. “I’ve always loved you, Spence, but with Beth…”

“If we do this again, that’s it. All or nothing between us.”

“Exactly.”

“I’m game if you are.”

Parker waves a foot in between their faces from her perch in the tree. “Speaking of games, Beth has the ball. Pay attention!”

Jess and Spencer both turn back toward the field guiltily.

Jess whistles and claps loudly when Beth scores a goal.

Parker jumps down from the tree to bounce next to Harrison instead.

Jess turns back toward Spencer when the game ends. “I’m in.”

Spencer nods. “There’s some stuff we have to figure out. I mean… Spencer Stone is dead.”

Jess shrugs. “We know two really good hackers and quite a few conmen. We’ll work it out however we need to. But right now, someone should stop Parker from strangling that poor bunny.” She releases Spencer’s hand to stand in front of Parker and lay her hands over the younger woman’s. “Parker, if you kill the bunny it won’t make a very good present.”

Parker blushes and loosens her grip, smoothing the soft brown fur covering the stuffed rabbit.

“You know you don’t have to give her anything right? She’s gonna love you guys.”

“I had one of these when was a kid,” Parker says softly. “It was pretty much the only thing I had as a kid.”

Jess rests a hand on her shoulder briefly. “She’s gonna love it.”

Parker smiles tentatively, then her gaze sharpens over Jess’ shoulder. “Incoming.”

Jess turns to see Beth sprinting straight toward her. “Mommy! Did you see my goal?”

Jess catches Beth and swings her through the air. “I sure did! Great kick, baby!” Despite the fact that the 8 year old is really too big for the action, she settles her daughter on her hip. “I’ve got some people I want you to meet, honey.”

Beth looks at the assembled group curiously, starting with Hardison.

He smiles. “Hey, kid. I’m Alec.”

Beth returns his offered fist bump with a wide grin.

Parker awkwardly thrusts the stuffed bunny in front of her. “I got this for you. I had one when I was your age. I still have it, actually. Uh, you don’t have to take it if you don’t like it. I, uh, oh yeah, I’m Parker.”

Beth takes the bunny and beams. “I love it.”

Parker relaxes and she smiles back before retreating into Alec’s side.

Beth’s eyes turn to Spencer and her gaze narrows. “Mommy, he looks like Uncle Jacob.”

“Yeah, baby. You know how twins work, right?”

Beth nods without taking her eyes off Spencer. “Like Jimmy and Joey at school.”

“That’s right. And remember what I told you about Uncle Stone?”

“You said my daddy was his twin brother.”

“That’s right.”

Beth turns a suspicious look on her mother. “You said my daddy was dead, too.”

Jess winces. “Well, baby, I thought he was… you remember when the soldiers came and told us that Uncle J was dead?”

Beth nods solemnly. “But he was just faking, ‘cause of bad guys.”

“That’s right. Well, your daddy kinda had to do the same thing.”

“Is he gonna stay now?”

“Do you want him to?”

Beth turns her face back toward Spencer, then nods and, in an uncharacteristically shy move, buries her face in Jess’ hair.

Jess uses her eyes to silently gesture Spencer over to them.

He hunkers down a bit and brushes Beth’s hair out of her eyes. “I’m gonna stay as long as you want me to, darlin’.”

Beth lifts her head, megawatt smile in place, and launches herself toward Spencer. He catches her easily, and Jess would be a liar if she said the sight of them clinging to each other doesn’t make her a little teary eyed. 


End file.
